Found Deceased Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, British tourist, suddenly disappeared from Ofrynio beach in Kavala, Greece, 1 Aug 2025

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  • #301
otto said:
Michele's disappearance reminds me of this woman. In that case, she disappeared around Christmas time. She had spent a lifetime ensuring happy holidays for family, including 3 children. That year, she was separated from her husband and her children were all busy. She was severely depressed.

In the cold snowy Winter, she walked roughly a mile, stepped into the icy Bow River, and vanished. She chose water for suicide, and made sure that she could not change her mind. Once in the water, the current, cold and ice would have incapacitated her within minutes.

Michele is described as a strong swimmer in cold water, fit, active and healthy. She is also described as suffering from depression. It's possible she made a choice of suicide by water by simply swimming away from shore, and not turning back. Leaving her clothes behind is an strong clue that she went into the water.

Her husband sounds devastated, and very upset that no one would help him. News reported that many boats were used to search for her, then we read that the boats were searching at night and in the early morning hours (to avoid alarming tourists). No one will find a body searching water at night with a couple of spot lights.

People laughed at him when he said that his wife was missing. Police didn't show up for 2 hours. Land searches were limited to one police officer driving along the road looking from side to side. Her husband must have been going out of his mind by the time he contacted the British Embassy for assistance.
Click to expand...

Re "people laughing at him"

BEFORE
ppl realized the wife "suffered from possible MH problems"

I see this situation as ribald banter of sorts.
Men like poking fun at guys "having trouble with wives".
Something like,
"oh wait,
your lady left you??? hehe,
You lost your wife mate??? haha".

Especially in relaxing holiday surroundings.
While in relaxed mood.

Knowing Greeks,
they always find something to chuckle about.

BUT,
when they realized the situation was SERIOUS,
they helped him as much as they could.

This is MY OPINION.

I was sometimes being laughed at too in Greece
(when I did or said something silly)
but in a funny, humorous way.
Never offensive.
And I too chuckled with them.

I honestly think this opinion about "being laughed at"
was taken out of context here.

Greeks are lovely people.

JMO
 
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  • #302
Dotta said:
Re "people laughing at him"

BEFORE
ppl realized the wife "suffered from possible MH problems"

I see this situation as ribald banter of sorts.
Men like poking fun at guys "having trouble with wives".
Something like,
"oh wait,
your lady left you??? hehe,
You lost your wife mate??? haha".

Especially in relaxing holiday surroundings.
While in relaxed mood.

Knowing Greeks,
they always find something to chuckle about.

BUT,
when they realized the situation was SERIOUS,
they helped him as much as they could.

This is MY OPINION.

I was sometimes being laughed at too in Greece
(when I did or said something silly)
but in a funny, humorous way.
Never offensive.
And I too chuckled with them.

I honestly think this opinion about "being laughed at"
was taken out of context here.

Greeks are lovely people.

JMO
Click to expand...
The husband, who described the response to his fears about his wife as laughter, is Greek. If he could see humour in it, he would not have mentioned it.
 
  • #303
otto said:
The husband, who described the response to his fears about his wife as laughter, is Greek. If he could see humour in it, he would not have mentioned it.
Click to expand...
I agree. He seems hurt and abandoned by people he expected to help.

jmopinion
 
  • #304
I noticed,
following some missing abroad persons' cases here on WS
(Jay S., Greg M. - a guy lost in Portugal and some more)
that locals, especially foreign Police,
are bad mouthed in Media.

And it always got on my nerves.

IDK,
maybe they are the cases of "cultural differences"?

JMO
 
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  • #305
Dotta said:
I noticed,
following some missing abroad persons cases here on WS
(J. Slater, a guy lost in Portugal)
that locals, esp.foreign Police, are bad mouthed in Media.

And it always got on my nerves.

IDK, maybe it is the case of "cultural differences".

JMO
Click to expand...
He is saying the police did not help him, and he is Greek himself. I think he’s telling the truth.

From my post #257
Mr Bourda said that he did not see a single police officer on the beach they day she went missing - a claim that was echoed by a fellow hotel guest.
 
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  • #306
Dotta said:
I noticed,
following some missing abroad persons' cases here on WS
(Jay S., Greg M. - a guy lost in Portugal and some more)
that locals, especially foreign Police,
are bad mouthed in Media.

And it always got on my nerves.

IDK,
maybe they are the cases of "cultural differences"?

JMO
Click to expand...
The husband in this case is Greek himself. jmo
 
  • #307
www.thesun.co.uk

Husband of missing Brit ‘was laughed at’ as he begged for help in Greece

THE Brit husband of a missing woman in Greece has told how he was laughed at as he begged for help after waking up to find his wife had disappeared. Chris Bourda, 66, claims he woke up on a sun lou…
www.thesun.co.uk www.thesun.co.uk

He also told how cops have assured him that his wife is alive.
"I wonder if they have told me she is alive so other tourists don't get scared," he said.

He continued: "I asked the police if they think that she is alive, why don't they use dogs, drones, helicopters and they replied where shall we search? It's a vast area?
 
  • #308
Inthedetails said:
Good grief! What is going on?

I believed the sports instructor, but he retracked?

jmopinion
Click to expand...

Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO
 
  • #309
Observe_dont_Absorb said:
Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO
Click to expand...
Great explanation @Observe_dont_Absorb!
 
  • #310
Observe_dont_Absorb said:
Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO
Click to expand...
I think what happened with the swim instructor is another woman came forward, not Michele, and said, "That was me - you talked to me out in the water, not Michele." He might have thought he spoke to Michele but it turned it not to be her. imo

Just a hunch.

jmopinion
 
  • #311
Observe_dont_Absorb said:
Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO
Click to expand...
Yeah good point @Observe_dont_Absorb Thinking of other missing persons cases where someone was the first person to offer help and end up being a suspect/intentions misunderstood/accused later of being present and samples from scene were hindered. (thinking of M McCann case.) (like when someone offers help, and leaves DNA at scene, and then LE think that person could be a suspect.) ALso, I imagine there are hundreds of beaches like this in Greece, and they're not all going to have LE or lifeguards around, some don't have a cafe. Also the case owner "laughing" maybe was misinterpreted by the distraught husband. I still believe she's drowned - she cant walk very far on stony ground without shoes.
 
  • #312
Unless... the laughing unhelpful cafe owner has got something to hide? I assume he's been scrutinised and cleared of any possible link ?
 
  • #313
Observe_dont_Absorb said:
Unless... the laughing unhelpful cafe owner has got something to hide? I assume he's been scrutinised and cleared of any possible link ?
Click to expand...
One thought i had was she asked cafe owner for assistance to hide... I mean if they are regulars at the beach, did they know each other at all?
 
  • #314
Alyce said:
Quite normal with Greek surnames, the A ending is the female version.
Click to expand...
I always thought in cultures that do that it is for sons/daughters and not women who marry into the name but that’s interesting to know

Moo
 
  • #315
TootsieFootsie said:
www.thesun.co.uk

Husband of missing Brit ‘was laughed at’ as he begged for help in Greece

THE Brit husband of a missing woman in Greece has told how he was laughed at as he begged for help after waking up to find his wife had disappeared. Chris Bourda, 66, claims he woke up on a sun lou…
www.thesun.co.uk www.thesun.co.uk

He also told how cops have assured him that his wife is alive.
"I wonder if they have told me she is alive so other tourists don't get scared," he said.

He continued: "I asked the police if they think that she is alive, why don't they use dogs, drones, helicopters and they replied where shall we search? It's a vast area?
Click to expand...

I don't know how police can possibly 'assure him his wife is alive', unless they know something others don't. It is now 8 days since she was last seen and no one can confirm any sighting post the late morning/early afternoon of 1 Aug. Given the circumstances (left all belongings), her health, the weather, I think this is a recovery operation.
 
  • #316
  • #317
It's gone very quiet. :confused:
 
  • #318
  • #319
As the days go on, it's looking less likely she's alive. She has nothing with her, including shoes. I'm sure the police questioned any one who could have possibility helped her out of the area. (which i dont believe) She required medication - 10 days without it is a bit drastic.
 
  • #320
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